


Jadzia Spills the Beans

by deepspaceprincess



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Awkwardness, Bisexual Julian, Bisexual Male Character, But its not a secret in the first place, Coming Out, First Date, M/M, My First Work in This Fandom, Technically being outed by someone else, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2016-12-22
Packaged: 2018-09-11 01:34:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8947918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deepspaceprincess/pseuds/deepspaceprincess
Summary: Or, better known as: Garak finds out what everyone else already knew.





	

**Author's Note:**

> My gift for startreksecretsanta on tumblr.
> 
> The prompt was: Garak/Bashir; Garak deals with the newfound (to him) knowledge that Bashir is bi and has been flirting with him all along. 
> 
> I really haven't dealt with this ship much nor do I feel I know the characters well enough so I only hope this is not completely out of character. I couldn't even begin to write from Garak's POV, so I took some liberty and wrote from Bashir's.  
> (no beta just me rereading, so sorry for any mistakes)
> 
> Happy Holidays Agnesnutter!

   Garak was acting weird. Weirder than usual. Now, not to be confused, Julian _enjoyed_ Garak's company, eclectic behavior included. He was a puzzle, someone that kept Julian on his toes, sometimes even more so than DS9 itself. And that was nice, it was. Really. At first Julian enjoyed his company because he was fun to flirt with, or Julian had _thought_ they were flirting. When he realized that was just how Garak was, well, things changed. Julian always looked forward to their lunches; he grasped onto any bit of truth Garak would let out about his life. So maybe it wasn't a lot and maybe that should have made Julian shy away, but instead he found himself downright falling for the man (Cardassian). Which was difficult, for a number of reasons.

   The “crush” had developed into full blown teenage like longing and that of course, led to Julian paying _far too much_ attention to every little nuance that was Elim Garak. That meant it took Julian exactly two seconds to pinpoint the moment everything changed. Three days ago, Garak started acting-

   “Just plain strange,” Julian mumbled, glaring down at his cup.

    Jadzia seemed perfectly content to let him wallow even though it had been her idea for the two of them to go to Quark's to discuss “just what the hell is bugging you Julian”. She was hardly engaged and considering the fact that she loved good gossip, it was rather suspicious.

   Surprisingly, it was Quark who brought everything to light (because he loved gossip more than anyone on the station and, had of course, been listening to Julian ramble on).

   “He's avoiding you,” Quark pointed out, nodding at Julian.

   “Yes thank you, I have put that together, the question is _why_?”

   Garak had been brushing off lunch for three days now, and while they didn't dine together every week, Garak was good about making up the next day if he had to miss for one reason or another.

   “Just let him be Julian, I'm sure he'll come around and all will be well again,” Jadzia assured him, her words rather uncharacteristic.

   “Usually you would be insisting I go and confront him Jadzia, what in the world has gotten into you?”

   Quark snorted.

   “She probably just wants you to leave it alone because she's the one who outed you to whats-his-face.”

   (Quark knew Garak's name and every knew Quark knew Garak's name but they let him play at whatever game it was he liked to play).

   Julian turned to level Jadzia with a look.

   “I mean,” Quark went on, either oblivious to the argument brewing in front of him or not wont to care, “Not that it's exactly a secret, with how much you yammer on about who you think is attractive, not when you drink at least.”

   Julian was perfectly fine to tone Quark out in favor of investigating just what she had “outed” him on.

   “Jadzia?”

   She looked downright guilty.

   “It wasn't anything serious Julian,” she started, “we just got to talking and it kinda came up that you're, well, that you're bisexual. It's not like you keep it a secret.”

   No one did really, not in this day and age, so it wasn't like he could be mad at her for discussing his preference in people. In fact-

   “Wait, I thought he _knew_ ,” Julian said, mostly to himself.

   Quark laughed again, “He sure didn't seem like he knew, not based on his reaction and you know, the avoiding you thing.”

   “You were eavsdropping on our conversation?” Jadzia asked, looking to Quark.

   “Let's be honest here, that is not even close to the worst thing you have caught me doing. Besides, you were having that conversation in _my_ bar, so I have ownership of any and all conversations that occur here.”

   Julian didn't have time to explain to Quark how that wasn't true, and based on the look on her face, neither did Jadzia. It looked like Odo was going to be getting another “anonymous” tip about Quark's business practices.

   “I didn't think that Cardassians were particularly opposed to different sexualities,” Julian sighed, a little disappointed.

   It had been far too many years since anyone, at least as far as humans went, thought that someone's sexuality was a big deal. And Julian was pretty sure that it was a sentiment held by most in the Federation (well, Cardassians weren't exactly in the Federation he supposed).

   “It probably wasn't that part that made him avoid you,” Jadzia murmured, biting her bottom lip.

   Julian stared at her and even Quark seemed intrigued, obviously this part he hadn't been privvy to.

   “I maybe, might have, sort of mentioned, you know, that you used to flirt outrageously with him, but I thought he _knew_. I mean, come on, you weren't subtle, by any measure of the word.”

   “So let me get this straight,” Quark said, drawing their attention back to him, “You not only revealed to whats-his-name that Doctor Bashir likes men-”

   “And women,” Julian interjected, getting the brush off from Quark.

   “Yes and women, okay so you revealed he likes men _and_ you told the guy that the lovely doctor had been flirting with him. A fact whats-his-face _didn't_ know, somehow, even though everyone else on the station did. Correct?”

   Jadzia nodded slowly, “That about covers it. Oh but Julian, I'm sorry! I wouldn't have said anything if I didn't think he already knew! He always flirted right back so I thought, well, it doesn't matter what I thought now.”

   “He wasn't flirting back Dax, that's just how Garak is,” Julian defended, earning the loudest snort from Quark yet. “And honestly, why are you still here listening to this? Don't you have some poor soul to con out of some money or something?”

   “I don't “con”, I _earn_. Every bar.”

   It was Jadzia and Julian's turn to laugh.

   When Julian had his breath back he let out a small huff.

   “What's done is done I suppose, no use dwelling on it. He'll come around or he won't.”

   Truly, he was upset, but there wasn't really anything he could do, Garak would either continue to avoid him, in which case Julian didn't think he wanted to be his friend anymore, or he would take his time to absorb whatever it was about the news that made him avoid Julian and come around. Still, it was all just very strange.

 

   One hundred and twenty some odd hours (not that Julian was counting) after the enitial moment when Garak started acting weird (-er than normal), the very Cardassian walked into the medical bay like it was a common occurance and smiled at Julian.

   It did not make his stomach drop, not at all, thank you very much.

   “Ah Doctor, there you are, wonderful day we're having, isn't it?” Garak asked, a bit more quick paced than usual.

   Julian opened his mouth to respond, only to be bowled over as Garak went on.

   “Yes, really, a wonderful day, I feel the same, as it were I was wondering if you might want to have lunch with me tomorrow?”

   Only when Julian was sure that Garak was finished did he answer.

   “Of course, we did miss our usual lunch this week, didn't we,” he said, not _exactly_ trying to bring up the whole “avoiding” fiasco.

   “Did we? Dear me, I am sorry. You see I have been simply overrun with work this week as it is, really I do apologize.”

   Julian knew for a fact that Garak had only had three customers over the course of the one hundred and twenty some odd hours he had been avoiding Julian (Quark was actually good for something, sometimes, if one was willing to pay).

   “Garak, I-”

   “Very well then, tomorrow? And let's change the venue a little hmm? The Captain's Table possibly? I've heard it is very good, nice variety.”

   Julian sighed, understanding he was not going to win this conversation.

   “The usual time?” he asked instead of trying to pry into just what was going through Garak's mind at the moment.

   “Yes! Wonderful! Well, I can see that you're busy here so I will just, make myself scarce,” Garak rambled, giving Julian his characteristic closed mouth grin, before wisking out of the door almost quicker than he had come in.

   Julian stood in the middle of his completely empty medical bay, entirely too confused.

 

   The next day in medical _was_ actually rather busy, which meant that Julian found himself rushing out of the medical bay already ten minutes late to their lunch. He had barely managed to change into a new uniform top, his first one having been thrown up on.

   Julian was given a dubious look by the maitre d' when he entered the restaurant; it honestly seemed rather upscale for his and Garak's usual lunches, but Julian didn't pay it any real mind. Garak was, of course, already seated, and looked up with a delighted smile when Julian was shown to the table. He looked, nice. As in dressed up. The tunic-trouser combo he wore was marginally less annoyingly tailored than most of what he wore and unless Julian was mistaken, Garak looked nervous.

   It wasn't until he looked at his place at the table and saw a single cut white tulip that everything clicked in his head.

   “Oh,” Julian breathed, hating the downtrodden look that the simple word put on Garak's face.

   “You didn't understand the context of this lunch,” Garak stated, pushing his chair back to stand.

   “Well you weren't very clear Garak,” Julian returned, trying not to sound frantic.

   “I apologize, I'll not keep you then.”

   Garak moved to walk past Julian, who was still lucky to have enough of his senses to stop the older man with a firm hand on his arm.

   “No, you misunderstand, I am... It is not that I don't want to have lu- a dat- um, this. It's just, I'm in my uniform still and I'll have to be back to work too soon.”

   As stilted and jumbled as they were, Garak still relaxed as Julian went on.

   “Then perhaps, the Replomat, as usual? Since you are pressed for time,” Garak suggested.

   “Yes! Yes, that would be good and we can use that time to maybe clear up any misunderstanding?” Julian pressed.

   Garak just nodded, his pleasant, closed lipped smile back, and led the way from the restaurant as Julian followed, being sure to grab the flower off of the table before he did.

 

   “I'll admit,” Garak started before pausing to push a bit of the food he had about his plate, “I was rather surprised when Lieutenant Dax told me that you had been flirting. I was rather led to believe that was just the manner in which you interact with people.”

   Julian stared at Garak with his fork halfway to his mouth, how had the two of them thought the same thing about the other? They certainly were a pair of idiots.

   “In the beginning it wasn't, but when you didn't respond to any of it I kept on just for a bit of my own fun,” he explained, before shoveling the food into his mouth for lack of anything better to do.

   Julian left out the parts where he continued to flirt in the hopes that one day Garak would actually notice.

   “I did not that think that you would have held any interest given my being male. Cardassians are much more close lipped about that sort of business.”

   “Well us humans aren't so much, which is really the only reason Jadzia yammers on about it so much,” Julian said with a shrug.

   In reality, nobody's secrets were safe with Jadzia, telling her something was a sure fire way to have everyone know before the week was out.

   “I do hope she didn't get in too much trouble, I have grown fond of that one.”

   The two shared a soft laugh before falling to silence again in favor of eating a few more bites of their lunches. Julian found that even though the quiet was comfortable, he didn't want to waste the time he had right now.

   “I was worried, what with you avoiding me and all.”

   Garak developed a slight bit of a pained look.

   “It wasn't my intention. I was... digesting the revelation. If you will,” he explained, “You see at first I was a bit shocked, I'll not lie. And after that I realized I had avoided you for far too long already. Next thing I knew almost a week had past and I-”

   “Decided that was the perfect time to storm through the medical bay and ask me out without actually telling me that's what you were doing?” Julian interjected playfully, trying his best to show he wasn't angry.

   “Not my shining moment, I can admit that. I stand by wanting to have a proper meal with you though.”

   “This isn't proper?” Julian asked, motioning to the table.

   He wanted to hear exactly what Garak was after, did he want one date or something a bit more?

   “A proper meal where both parties are informed that it is a date,” he corrected, giving Julian a steady look.

   “Not in pity, I would hope.”

   “Doctor, I believe I would find it very hard to ever pity you. I have been quite taken with you since our first meeting and my regard has only grown over the time I have gotten to know you. I understand I am a bit older than you and even I respect you enough to admit that I have not been entirely truthful where my life is concerned. As such I would not hold it against you if you did not wish to pander to my madness,” Garak went on, doing well to keep his uncontact to a less intense level than was his norm.

   “Your age is even less an issure than your being male Garak. And as for the other bit, well, I think you're truthful where it matters. Even if you have done some things you're obviously not proud of, I don't believe you're that person anymore. I'd very much like to “have a proper meal” with you, many of them, if possible,” Julian returned, feeling rather brave for saying what he had, even if his face felt rather warm.

   “Tonight then? I wish to make up for my earlier blunder.”

   “I'd like that very much. And as much as I am enjoying this meal, I do have to return to work,” he sighed.

   Garak nodded and the two of them collected their trays. They cleaned up and started the walk back to the medical bay.

   “Does eighteen hundred work for you?” Garak asked, apparently content to escort Julian back to his workplace.

   “Yes it does, would you like to try the Captain's Table again?”

   “Perhaps we can go somewhere else, the maitre d' there looked a horrible gossip,” Garak said with a pinched look.

   “I'll let you consider the venue then, you can pick me up at my quarters.”

   Garak stopped to looked at Julian as they reached the doors to the medical bay, Julian smirked at him, twisting the tulip in his fingers.

   “Very well, I will see you this evening Julian.”

   He couldn't help but smile, seeing as Garak seldomly used his name; he was remiss to admit that it made his stomach flutter like it did. Julian found a bit more bravery and pressed the palm of his free hand to the Garak's cheek, pressing up on his toes to give him a dry kiss to the opposite cheek. The face that Garak was making when Julian stood back made him glad for the spontaneous decision.

   “This evening then, eighteen hundred sharp Elim,” Julian said, giving Garak's cheek a short pat before walking past him into the medical bay.

   When the doors closed behind him, Julian held the flower up in front of him and smiled; he certainly wasn't going to consider tonight their first date.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! 
> 
> I always appreciate comments and reviews!


End file.
